AFFILIATE
WITH YOUR
CENTRAL LABOR
UNION
AND THE
N. C. FEDERATION
NOW!
YOL. XVI; NO. 40
Unionioto, Do Everything Within Your Power To I Working For A Better Understanding Between
Aid In the Southern A. F. L. Membership Drive North Carolina AFL Unions and Employers of Labor
Charlotte Labor Journal
A New*paper Dedicated To The Interest* of Charlotte Central Labor Union and Affiliated Craft*—Endorsed By North
Carolina Federation of Labor and Approved By The America n Federation of Labor.
CHARLOTTE, N. C„ THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 1947
“Were it not for the labor
press, the labor movement
would not be what it is to
day. and any man who
tries to injure a labor pa
per is a traitor to tho
cause.”—Samuel Gompera.
Subscription $2.00 Ptjf Tear
New Minimum Wage
And Hour Bill Is Now
Awaiting Senate Vote
A State minimum wage and maximum hour bill for
North Carolina was introduced in the Senate Tuesday and
it is thought by experienced observers that it has an excel
lent chance of passage. It is an improvement over the pres
ent law, which does not include all classes of workers.
North Carolina Labor is supporting the new wage and
hour biJMmt is bitterly opposing the proposed anu-closed
shop m.e^su£e^a£bich was introduced in the House iast week.
The anti-closedIsnop measure was offered by three war vet
erans but it is thought that the idea is an inspiration of
strong anti-union interests in this and other States, due to
the fact that similar bills have either been introduced or are
pending. ,
Anyway, North Carolina Labor is up in arms against the
anti-labor measure and will appear before the committee
hearing in Raleigh next Wednesday to present their oppo
sition in a big way. Charlotte unions will send large* dele
gations to the State Capital. ' \
Broader Security
Program Pressed
In ReportOf SSB
Washington, D. C.—Broad expansion of the Nation’s
social security program, along lines long advocated by the
American Federation of Labor^ was urged upon Congress
in the 11th annual report of the Social Security Board. •
Pointing out that the present system “is seriously defi
cient in failing to provide adequately against the economic
risks of old age, death and unemployment for all families,
or to include protection against costs of sickness,” the re
port declared:
“To this end, the board recommends to Congress a com
prehensive system to cover all workers and their depend
ents.”
Major proposal of the report, translated into specific
terms, list three major steps the board feels must be taken
to strengthen the existing old age and survivors’ system.
1. Extension of this plan to cover farm labor, self-em
ployed, domestic servants, employes in non-profit organiza
tions and Government employment;
2. Increased benefits, particularly in view of the pyra
mided living costs;
3. Extension of benefits to cover periods of permanent
total disability.
Under other recommendations presented in the report are
provisions making women eligible fer retirement benefits
at GO instead of 65; increasing the taxable amount of wages
from $3,000 to $3,600; and increasing from $14.99 to about
$30 the monthly amount a beneficiary is permitted to earn
without having his or her benefits suspended.
According to the Social Security Board's report, extension
of coverage to small firms and to most of the other excluded
groups would go a long way toward protecting the 12,000,
000 workers now outside the scope of the unemployment in
surance system. Along with increased coverage, the report
recommends a maximum weekly benSfit^of at least $26 to
run for 26 weeks if an eligible worker should be unemipoyed
that long. A worker should not t>e disqualified, according
to the report if he has good personal reasons for leaving or
(Please Turn to Page 3)
HOiP ON TO YOUR
5QC»AL5ECURlTyCARP
WHEN YOU
START WORK ON A NEW JOB
nt now social stMwmrwiifns. I
tor More /nfor /nation
Consult Your Union Social Sect/ritu Cowrwittee,
OR tWe Nearest Social Security Office .
REAL FRIEND OF THE TOILERS
rr ' ... \
Lincoln;
TO SECURE TO EACH
LABORER THE WHOLE
PRODUCT OP HIS LABOR,
AS NEARLY AS POSSIBLE.
IS A. WORTHY OBJECT
OF ANY GOVERNMENT.
1809-1865
Union Label Trad** Department
I Union Labels, Shop Cards and Service Buttons Insure Jobs j
AFL Rolls Now Show
7,505,446 Members
* 'r:~ *
Miami, Fla.—Emphatically reaffirming its determination
to battle to a finish the flood of anti-labor proposals pre
sented in Congress' and State, legislatures, the AFL Execu
tive Council, winding up Its mid-winter session here, sharp
ly assailed the 49 restrictive measures which President Wil
ton.
Bam Green reported were waiting consideration in Wash
ington.
Highlights of the concluding
sessions of tho Council—one of
the shortest winter meetings of
thst group—included:
1. Announcement of Secretary
Treasurer George Meany that the
membership now totals 7,506,440
—an all-time record, and a quar
ter of a million above the figure
for September.
2. Adoption of a plan to reduce
strikes by appointment of a three
man. committee of the top AFL
leaders to work out settlement
formulae for disputes.
3. Approval of a plan for com
pulsory retirement of members of
the AFL headquarters staff at
the age of 63. This would not ap
ply to elected officers or organ
isers, Mr. Green told newsmen.
44. Unanimous opposition to
compulsory military graining in
peace-time.
5. Reiteration of the AFL pol
icy of unrelenting opposition to
any proposed legislation, national
or State, vrbch would restrict the
social and economic progress of
organised American workers.
The new retirement plan, Mr.
Green told newsmen, will become
effective April 1, and the Council
| has set aside a fund of $300,000
to cover the accumulated years of
credit for employe* now on the
staff. After that date, the fund
becomes ‘participating,” with both
the AFL and ita staff members
contributing.
Regarding the Council’s resolu
tion setting up a three-man com
mittee to supervise the fight
against anti-labor bills, Mr. Green
was asked if the opposition might
take the form of strikes. He re
plied that he couldn’t say at the
moment what the committee will
do, and added that the committee
was authorized to make its own
decisions on what course might
meet a given situation^
Appointed to this committee
were Mr. Green, Mr. Meany, Sec
retary-Treasurer, and William I*
Hutcheson, AFL first Vice-Presi
dent and head of the Carpenters.
In view of the grave legislative
situation, the Council advanced its
spring quarterly meeting by one
month and will meet next in
Washington on April 21.
TEAMSTERS given raise
Miami, Fla. -Employes of Swift
A Co., Armour £ Co., and The
Weathers Warehouse, members of
Teamsters Local 390, have been
granted Wage increases of 7 1-2
to 10 cents an hour, .
COUNCIL TEXT AFFIRMIN6
ANTI-LABOR BILL FI6HT
Miami, Fla.—Pail text of th#
resolution adopted by Um AFL
Extntin Council serving stem
notice that it will refcntlessly op
pone all forma of anti-latyor I*fil
ial) on, followB:
“The American Federation of
Labor baa opposed and will con*
tiaue to oppose all legialaUan,
either Federal or State, that dis
turbe, menace* or dootreya ita
free atatna; that limita free col
lective bargaining; that orecta le
gal barricra to otep the economic
and aodal program of all worker!
gainfully employed; that make*
the legislative representative* of
the people a police patrol for em
ploying and Inandal interests.
“The executive officer* of tha
American Federation of Labor are
instructed te decry, eppaoo and
Cght sack projected legislntton in
the name of aU the members of
the American Federation of La
bor; they are authorised to util
ise all the facilities and resource*
of the American Federation of La
bor and te enlist the co-operation
of all the affiliated uni one and
their members hip in such effort.
The President, First Vice Presi
dent and the Secretary-Treasurer
are constituted a committee te so
iferviae suen action and make all
necessary decisions related there
to.”
Committee Hearing On
House Bill 229 To Be
Held On Wednesday
North Carolina Labor will appear before the Labor Com
mittee of the North Carolina General Assembly next Wed
nesday when the House Bill No. 229 is brought up for a
hearing in there. That is the information that has been
transmitted to Charlotte Central Labor Union and its affili
ates by President C. A. Fink of the North Carolina Federa
tion of tabor, who states that one of the largest delegations
of AFL unionists ever to visit the State Capital is expected
to be present.
At the weekly meeting of Charlotte Central Labor Union
reports by delegates indicated that a large delegation of
Charlotte tradesmen will be present when the hearing is
called in the House chamber^ 'T
The local American Federation of Labor Unions last week
passed a resolution strongly condemning the proposed anti
closed shop bill for North Carolina and no doubt they will
back up their protest by appearing against the drastic anti
labor measure. The carpenters, the electricians, the print
ers—in fact, about 50 AFL unions are expected to have
representatives present from the Queen City.
Local union members express themselves as being bitterly
opposed to an anti-closed shop bill in this State, due to the
fact that North Carolina labor Has always endeavored to
settle its differences round the conference table through
collective bargaining, and they claim that where cl
shop agwraaata *re
should be on the statute booMTwhkslvwould interfere with"
the contract terms. Without a doubt if such a law were
passed making it unlawful to negotiate closed shop con
tracts much confusion would* result and this would greatly
interfere with the extremely harmonious relations that have
existed between labor and management in North Carolina
throughout the years.
The North Carolina Federation of tabor Executive board
will hold a two-day meeting in Raleigh beginning next
Tuesday, during which time union representatives from all
parts of the State will appear before the board to express
themselves relative to the proposed bill.
President Fink asks that all North Carolina unions take
action against this measure and that they contact their rep
resentatives in the General Assembly and express their op
position.
Truman Stand On,
Issues Supports AFL
Washington.—The position taken by the American Fed
eration of Labor on wage stabilization, collective bargaining
and related industrial questions has been substantiated by
President Truman and the Council of Economic Advisers,
states George T. Brown, labor economist, in an article ap
pearing in the American Federations, A. F. of L. monthly
wajwmi.
Mr. Brown, the economist of the United Association of
Journeymen and Apprentices of the Plumbing slid Pipe Fit
ting Industry of the United States and Canada, declares
that “the future does not look rosy” when Mr. Truman’s
recent economic report to Congress is examined carefully.
The declining standard ox liv
ing, the drying np of workers’
savings accounts (where there
any), the rapid increase in install
ment buying are all a part of the
same pattern that brought on
1929 and 1982,” the writer warns.
Pointing out that “real wages”
are declining with dangerous rap
savings accounts (where there are
“practically nonexistent,” Mr.
Brown declares that the facts of
the 1947 economic situation should
end the dream tnat there is a
guaranteed market for the ever
growing production rate.”
He says that when workers fall
to receive sufficient income to
maintain their standard (of living,
credit is dangled before their eyes.
This is happening now on a grow
ing scale, Mr. Brown declares,
supporting his charge with a quo
tation from Mr. Truman’s report.
“Economists know that increas
ed output, lower selling pri«S» per
unit and generally steady wage
rates can mean avoidance of de
pression and continued prosperity.
“Labor leaders know that genu
ine collective bargaining can pro*
vide the mechanism of these ad*
justments on a plant-by-plant ba
sis.
"But economists know that his
tory has yet to record this unified
national effort to reduce prices and
expand production, holding wage
rates steady in general. Labor
leaders know that at the very
time when collective bargaining
should be strengthened so as to
be equal to its responsibilities,
demagogues both in and out of
Congress are demanding the vir
tual elimination of trade union
ism.
“But optimism springs eternal
ly. Perhaps substantial price re
ductions will tys recognised as the
sane method of stimulating pur
chasing power. Perhaps concomi
tant voluntary wage stabilisation
will occur. Perhaps the necessary
wage increases will be made at
the expense of abnormal profits
in individual cases.
“But whatever may occur la
the future, the fact is now estab
(Continued an Paga »